Serie A: Securing Second Place is the Consolation Prize for AC Milan

Hellas Verona vs AC Milan

Inter Milan are likely to win the Serie A title this season, so the focus is now on the exciting battle for second place and the top four spots.

Right now, AC Milan and Juventus are fighting for second place, and the former has the upper hand with a one-point lead after back-to-back league wins and the latter’s two-game winless run.

AC Milan will take on Slavia Praha later in the second leg of their Europa League Round of 16 tie, and after that, they are scheduled to visit Hellas Verona at the Marcantonio Bentegodi Stadium on Sunday.

Hellas Verona have won two in a row, which certainly helps in their fight against relegation. The Gialloblu have moved up to 14^th place with 26 points, although they are just two points above the drop zone.

Talking Points

Who will produce goals for Hellas Verona?

When Cyril Ngonge left for Napoli during the winter transfer window, Hellas Verona were left with a huge void up front since he was their leading scorer with six goals and two assists this season.

But while Hellas Verona’s results were mixed since Ngonge’s departure (which was expected), they somehow managed to put up a respectable tally of seven goals in their last eight league games.

Leading the way is Michael Folorunsho, who has scored three of his four goals during this period. In their 2-2 draw against Juventus, the 26-year-old scored a wonderful volley in the 11^th minute, which earned him the Serie A Goal of the Month award for February 2024.

Folorunsho came to Hellas Verona on loan from Napoli last summer, and he has been one of the team’s best options in the final third.

Striker Thomas Henry is out for this game due to suspension after being sent off against Lecce on Sunday, so Michael Folorunsho will be tasked with shouldering a bigger load on offence alongside Tomas Suslov, Tijjani Noslin, and Darko Lazovic.

Former Chelsea boys peaking for AC Milan

AC Milan have found their form recently because of the resurgence of their Chelsea outcasts.

Fikayo Tomori is one of the Rossoneri’s top defenders, so it’s no surprise that when he came back after a long spell from the sidelines, the team’s defencive frailties were no longer a concern.

As for Christian Pulisic, he was the one who scored the marginal goal in their 1-0 victory over Empoli on Sunday, making him AC Milan’s second double-digit scorer this season with 10 goals and six assists (in all competitions), only four behind Olivier Giroud – also a former Chelsea man.

Pulisic has now been directly involved in 14 goals for AC Milan this season, which is more than in any of his other seasons in Europe’s top five leagues, according to Opta.

And we would be remiss not to mention Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who has excelled at the No. 10 position for the Rossoneri. The 28-year-old has taken his tally to eight goals and one assist in all competitions this year.

History

AC Milan defeated Hellas Verona in their reverse fixture last September, as Rafael Leao scored the winning goal in the eighth minute en route to a 1-0 victory. The Rossoneri have also won their last four Serie A games against the Gialloblu at the Marcantonio Bentegodi Stadium with an aggregate tally of 8-2.

Hellas Verona have now lost six Serie A matches in a row against AC Milan, their second-longest league losing streak behind Napoli between 1988 and 1996 and against Inter Milan currently since 2020 (both L7).

However, Marco Baroni’s men have managed to secure back-to-back clean sheets against Sassuolo and Lecce in their current winning streak. They have yet to secure a third consecutive Serie A victory since October 2013.

Betting Tip

The Serie A 2024 odds like AC Milan’s chances of extending their lead over Juventus in the Serie A table. The Rossoneri are priced at 1.75 to win this weekend, while the Gialloblu are 4.29 underdogs, and a draw is at 3.36 odds in the 1X2 market.

Don’t expect too many Serie A 2024 highlights from this game, SBOTOP football fans, since that has been the trend of AC Milan’s recent matches. So, other than our recommended bet above, check out Under 2.25 at 2.11 and Total Goal 0-1 at 3.12 because those are enough for them to get the job done.

Moreover, a Correct Score of 1-0 in favour of AC Milan – the result of their reverse fixture – is being offered at a decent price of 6.00.

 

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